


Make a Wish

by FactoryKat



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Celebrations, Cullen Rutherford Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Minor Original Character(s), Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition Quest - Doom Upon All the World, Sweet Cullen Rutherford, Trevelyan (Dragon Age) has Sibling(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:55:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22760572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FactoryKat/pseuds/FactoryKat
Summary: The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.Or in which Cullen has not forgotten his beloved Inquisitor's birthday.
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan, Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Make a Wish

She had never seen him so animated before. Hazel eyes glimmered, and his expression was boyishly excited. Too often, Cullen wore a weariness on his handsome face that was ill-fitting of a man his age. A man who ought to be enjoying the prime of his life. He had a difficult job, a stressful one - sometimes perhaps more than her own, but she understood. It was nice to see him so pleased. Whether it was with himself or something else, Genevieve did not yet know, but she was all too happy to invite him into her chambers, despite the hour. 

"You're in a good mood." She let a smile unfurl onto her lips.

Cullen matched her smile, or simper rather. His lips curled too much to be just a smile. There was a curious quality to it. "Yes, well, I er - I brought you something."

Her eyes fell to his hands, encumbered by a large and tightly rolled parchment neatly tied with a golden ribbon that gleamed in the light of the hearth. The roll was far too large to be orders of any kind, so what sort of surprise awaited her?

"So I see," Gen chuckled and stepped aside to grant him entry. "Have you brought me maps of the entire Hinterlands?" Her smile never wavered, only growing playful. 

Though his laughter came easily, the Commander still stepped with care, his posture somewhere between comfortable but cautious, not unlike a cat in an unfamiliar place. She supposed it was a fitting analogy, as he had only been in her room less than a handful of times. Genevieve was particular about sharing her personal space with others - from growing up as the youngest of 5 to life in the Circle of Magi, where privacy was a privilege only known by the Senior Enchanters and above. It made sense that Cullen would have realized as much, he had grown up with a few siblings of his own and had been a Templar stationed inside a Circle. His respect for her space was born from those experiences.

Watching him stand idly by waiting to be told to sit was sweet, but she shook her head. "Cullen, please, you're more than welcome here." She abandoned the door and approached, encouraging him towards the desk tucked away in the corner. 

Together, they rolled out the oversized parchment until it laid flat against the desk's surface, revealing its secrets to Gen. Her widening eyes traced lines she realized were patterns as her mind put the pieces together. She almost waited for the twinkle as the shapes formed themselves. Her heart swelled, and a hand flew to her mouth to stifle a gasp.

Cullen must have seen her face light up, for his cheeks took on the most subtle hue of pink. "For your birthday."

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, throwing herself at his chest and wrapping her arms around him as far as they would go. Cullen staggered but somehow maintained his footing.

She nuzzled the crook of his neck and practically squealed into the wreath of fur around his shoulders. Cullen returned the favor, closing his arms around her waist and all but lifting her off the ground. When the moment passed, they didn't part, but Genny pulled her head back to face him, letting the tip of her nose touch his.

Startled by the sudden gesture, the color in his cheeks intensified. "It's a star chart…" he cleared his throat as if to control his voice. "If one were looking at the sky from the hole in my roof."

Her mind was suddenly conjuring up images of the Commander's office and personal quarters overrun by map makers, astronomers, and what have you, trying to painstakingly capture the view just right with him nervously overseeing the whole process. The very idea made her laugh, and she buried her face in his shoulder again to contain it all. 

"I suppose I should take that as a good sign?" 

She heard the mirth in his voice, smooth and rich like the colors of the fur, of the silken cloak he wore over his breastplate, of his eyes whenever he was happy. 

Genevieve nodded her head in response as the laughter receded and became a humming thanks while his thumbs traced gentle circles into her back. "Definitely a good sign." She withdrew just enough to meet his eyes again. "Did you know that Josephine was planning a surprise party for me tonight? Cole accidentally let it slip."

"Really? That's certainly news to me." There was mischief in his smile, implying he knew more than he let on. 

"Cullen!" She exclaimed, "I should have known you were in on it."

He laughed, warm and sincere from somewhere deep within his chest. "Someone had to keep our dear Ambassador from going overboard. You'll pretend to be surprised then, I hope?"

"I _am_ surprised, so I won't have to pretend too much, but don't worry."

Cullen presented his arm to her, and she admired his smug expression from the corner of her eye. "Good. Then allow me to escort you, _Inquisitor_." His eyes glinted with amusement, and Gen snickered as she looped her arm through his.

"Certainly, _Commander._ " 

The journey from his office to the Herald's Rest was a short one, typically, but the pair deliberately chose to take it at their leisure, stretching it out for as long as was feasible. By now, the entirety of Skyhold knew they were together, the Inquisitor and her Commander, so curious eyes following them across the battlements and down the stone steps was nothing new. Few were brave enough to disrupt their walk, save for one scout in particular whose knack for unfortunate timing seemed less and less like an accident as time went by. Fortunately, Jim's distraction was short-lived, and they made it to the tavern without further fuss.

Cullen, being ever the gentleman, opened the door and invited her to enter first.

"SURPRISE! Happy Birthday, Inquisitor!" Cheers erupted from the sizable crowd the moment she stepped inside the building. Lavishly decorated in such a way that the Rest was almost unrecognizable, a beautifully painted banner proudly displaying her name hung over the bar itself and she spotted ribbons of violet and gold (her favorite colors) wrapped around the support beams. 

Lighting up with much enthusiasm, Genevieve scanned the bar for as many familiar faces as possible. She came away delighted to find all of her companions and even her advisors collected for the celebrations. Two nearly-identical figures with her same auburn-red hair stood up grinning. Mason and Morgan raised their mugs, frothy ale all but spilling over the top. "Happy Birthday, Cucumber!" 

A giddy laugh bubbled up from her throat, and she all but howled, "Wow! This is amazing and wonderful, thank you all so much. Really." 

Cullen approached from behind and rested his hands comfortably on her hips. "I believe there is one more surprise." 

Her brothers moved, parting like a curtain to give way to the figure standing just behind them. There stood a young woman with short brown hair and dark green eyes who smiled brightly, beaming practically. "Hello, Genny." 

"Sophia!" 

Sophia opened her arms instinctively in preparation for her sister, who immediately broke away from Cullen to greet her. The two women embraced and exchanged a babble of excited greetings and chatter. It went on that way for at least several minutes before she welcomed everyone else into the fray and began the rounds of introductions.

Though her advisors could not stay long, as Josephine especially needed to return to her duties, celebrations amongst the rest of the Inquisition family continued well into the late hours. After all, they had already saved the world, had they not? 


End file.
